Discretionary sales

L. M. A. Chan, D. Simchi-Levi, and J. L. Swann. Dynamic pricing models for manufacturing with stochastic demand and discretionary sales. Working Paper, 2002. 

A single energy refinery would require about 20,000 tons/day of high-sulfur Eastern coal, producing about 600 long tons/day of elemental sulfur by-product. For the purposes of this paper, the future price of sulfur has been projected to be about 100/LT, with a floor provided by the energy cost to produce discretionary sulfur. At this sale price, the sulfur by-product credit is about 0.25/million Btu of energy produced. This credit, for 2 million... 

Prior to the 1980s, the prevalent parameters were the identification of the need, of a population with a discretionary income, and of a cost-effective distribution and sale. 

Statistics on full year 2002 wholesale shipments of new boats activity was down about 5% compared to the prior year. Industry spokespeople report that consumer confidence and discretionary spending was affected by the events of September 11, 2001 Twin Tower disaster that carried over into 2002 boat sales. The weak state of the economy also compelled many buyers to defer buying-decisions. As expected, various categories of boats fared differently. Outboard boats seemed to be... 

When analyzing the consumer markets, it is very important to recognize that technical improvement alone will not translate into sales success. Consumer behavior is largely impacted on brand awareness and perceived performance versus actual performance. By recognizing that many consumer products are somewhat, if not entirely, discretionary in terms of need, an analysis of what stimulates the consumer to buy these products in the first place must be conducted. The answer often lies in marketing and advertising. 

It is possible for the court to grant Specific Performance as a remedy whereby one party is ordered to complete his part of the contract. The remedy is discretionary and little used outside of land sales. It will not be granted where the contract is one of personal services, e.g. in a contract of employment. Although an industrial tribunal may order reinstatement of an employee following an unfair dismissal, such a remedy cannot be enforced against an unwilling employer and his refusal will merely be reflected in the compensation awarded to the former employee. 

With the weakening economy, the third and fourth quarters of 2008 were particularly hard on diamond retailers. Even historically snccessfnl players such as Blue Nile, Tiffany, and Zales saw a decline in sales and a significant drop in their share price. As customers tightened their belts and cut back on discretionary spending, high-cost purchases such as diamond jewelry were often the first to be postponed. The situation worsened as competition for the shrinking number of customers became fiercer. In such a difficult environment, it was hard to judge which factors could best help different jewelry retailers succeed. 

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